ROCKFORD, MI -- A Rockford resident won $10,000 in a national competition aimed at developing software to better protect computers from hackers.

Jared DeMott, a Ferris State University alumnus, took third place in Microsoft’s BlueHat prize competition, which is aimed at making operating systems more secure and less susceptible to attack. Contest winners were announced last week at a computer security conference in Las Vegas.

“It went great,” DeMott said. “I had hoped for first, but I am still very proud of this great accomplishment and broad recognition.”

DeMott, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Networks and Systems from Ferris in 2000, also took home a subscription for computer software from Microsoft valued at $10,000.